


KeNeko and the Chemistry King

by kurapikas_chains



Series: How to Get a Boyfriend - Full Game Walkthrough [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bad Flirting, Developing Relationship, Flirting, Fluff, Getting Together, Identity Reveal, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Alternating, Pining, Pining Kozume Kenma, Pining Kuroo Tetsurou, Slow Burn, Social Media, Sort Of, Twitch - Freeform, Twitch Streamer Kenma, Twitter, YouTube, gratuitous use of social media interludes, kuroo is his biggest fan, not much though, purely on kuroo’s side, to a lesser extent - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:29:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27946061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kurapikas_chains/pseuds/kurapikas_chains
Summary: Be careful what you say in the live chat of KeNeko’s streams. If you’re rude, you just might incur the wrath of Kenma’s knight in shining armor, the persistent and charming Chemistry King.Really, Kenma just wants the confidence to ask his biggest fan what his real name is. Kuroo just wants to fall in love.The universe has big plans for them.A Kuroken sequel to As Seen On TV
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: How to Get a Boyfriend - Full Game Walkthrough [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2046578
Comments: 53
Kudos: 605
Collections: Haikyuu Fanfiction Archive, My favorite haikyuu fics, Recommended KuroKen Fics





	KeNeko and the Chemistry King

**Author's Note:**

> hello all! 
> 
> i really recommend you read my other fic, As Seen On TV before you read this. it’s not very long and it has some different perspectives on some events that occur in this story. 
> 
> this is mostly a series of different one shots in the timeline of kenma and kuroo in the ASOT universe, so apologies if it feels unconnected/disjointed. 
> 
> to be honest, this was supposed to be a 3k-ish one shot. as you can see that is not the case. it wrote itself, don’t blame me :-)

The first time Kuroo Tetsurou heard Kenma Kozume’s voice, he was drunk off his ass. Better yet, he didn’t even remember it.

He and Bokuto, his best friend/roommate/enabler, had gone drinking in celebration of Bokuto finally getting the balls to ask out the man who worked at the bookstore by their shared apartment. Bokuto had been pining after Akaashi for months now, their shelves slowly filling with books both Kuroo and Bokuto knew he would never read.

Akaashi said yes, to no one’s surprise. Kuroo had known that would be the case ever since he’d first met the man. He’d seen the way he watched Bokuto with poorly concealed affection and Kuroo had been confident in the notion that they’d both fallen hard and fast. 

It was a good thing, of course, that Bokuto had finally pulled them out of wallowing in their obviously mutual pining. It was great and Kuroo was very pleased and he wanted nothing more than for his best friend to be happy. 

The thing was, Kuroo was lonely. 

He would never admit that out loud, not even to himself. He’d never spoken the words for fear that doing so would be something of a sentencing. Saying it made it real. 

It was easy to ignore it with Bokuto. Bokuto, who was abrasively loud and brash, who never looked back and expected everyone around him to be the same. Bokuto, who needed Kuroo’s help to make pasta. Bokuto, who depended on the people around him. 

Bokuto, who would now be dependent on Akaashi. 

Kuroo, who would now be alone once more. 

For the moment, though, he pushed those thoughts of oppressively lonely nights out of his mind and focused on getting home in one piece, a feat proving more and more difficult as the night wore on. First, there was the matter of the room tilting on its axis, the tiled floor spinning and the people around him swaying. Next, there was the insurmountable distance that loomed before him, the dreaded mile-and-a-half distance between the bar and his sweet, sweet bed. 

“Are you alright?” 

Kuroo attempted to whip around to face the person speaking, but it ended up being more of a slow, tilted spiral. 

“Are you okay?” The voice repeated, a face swimming in and out of his vision. It was a familiar face, but he couldn’t place it. 

“Akaashi!” Bokuto yelled from somewhere in the distance, his drunken slurring rolling the syllables around and elongating the name immensely. “Whaddya doin’ here?”

“Bokuto-san, you asked me to come,” the man in front of them replied. Kuroo nodded to himself, reconciling the kind face with the quiet bookstore clerk. 

“Did I? Wow! I am so smart!” Bokuto crowed, pumping his fists in the air. “Akaashi, the bartender here is the best, he’s on fire!” 

Kuroo racked his head for a mental picture of the bartender, but he came up blank. Bokuto got along with everyone, it wasn’t really a surprise that he had made a friend out of the staff in the few hours they’d been at the bar. 

“That’s lovely, Bokuto-san. I’m taking you both home now.”

Kuroo spluttered. “I’m not done here!” He slurred out, attempting to point menacingly, but he wasn’t quite sure if his finger was going the right direction. Apparently, it wasn’t, as Akaashi reached out to gently push his hand back to his side. 

“You are more than done. I’ll get you both home safely. Now let’s go,” Akaashi chastised, not unkindly. Kuroo could feel his resolve slip out from under him as he suddenly registered just how heavy his eyelids felt. Fighting the urge to fall asleep, he took Akaashi’s outstretched hand and trailed after him like a toddler. 

He was only vaguely aware of his surroundings during the drive home. He recognized the sound of someone speaking softly. It wasn’t Akaashi or Bokuto, which was strange. It was nice, though. 

“Who’s that?” He slurred from the backseat, half asleep. Akaashi faced him from his place at the wheel and smiled gently. 

“His voice is relaxing, huh? A friend of a friend told me about him. I was listening on the drive over, but I can turn it off if you want silence,” Akaashi offered, his eyes back on the road. 

Kuroo shook his head. “No. ‘S’nice. I like it.”

“He has a gaming channel. I think you should give it a look. Not many subscribers, but I don’t think it’ll stay that way,” Akaashi mused, almost to himself. 

“I will, promise,” Kuroo mumbled. 

Akaashi chuckled and the car fell back under the spell of the soothing voice. It was like a lullaby, the way he seemed to wrap the words in magic. It was utterly calming. Calming enough that he felt himself finally give in to the pull of sleep and slipped into unconsciousness. 

Kuroo’s dreams that night were bizarre and fantastical. Bokuto grew wings and flew away in a blaze of fire, Lev from the ice cream shop was seducing a mermaid, and Akaashi had become a god. Granted, he didn’t remember a single second of his dreams come morning. Nor did he remember much of the night before that.

He awoke with a groan and immediately rolled onto his stomach, pressing his face into his pillow in an effort to calm the raging headache behind his eyes. The sun was too bright, the clock ticking was too loud, the world was simply too  _ much.  _ He could faintly hear Bokuto plodding around in the front room, presumably making breakfast.

In all honesty, it was probably lunch. 

Kuroo peeled his head off of his pillow to spare a glance at his bedside table, on which his phone, a glass of water, and a pair of aspirin resided. Mentally praising Bokuto’s choice in men, he downed the glass and swallowed the pills. Blinking slowly, he swung his legs off of the bed, noticing that he was dressed only in boxers. 

Well, if Akaashi was going to be Bokuto’s boyfriend, it was probably good that they break down the boundaries of their friendship early. Bokuto was always one for oversharing and Akaashi was sure to face the brunt of it. Akaashi would probably know more about Kuroo in a week than Kuroo’s parents had since high school. 

Stumbling into the kitchen, he blearily rubbed the last remnants of sleep from his eyes and slid into a chair at the island counter. Bokuto placed a steaming mug of black coffee in front of him, to which Kuroo nodded his thanks. The drink was hot and bitter and exactly what he had been craving.

“Thank Akaashi for me, will you? For the water, and the ride,” he rasped out after a few more sips. Bokuto smiled dumbly. 

“Okay! Isn’t he amazing? He’s just…” Bokuto trailed off, sighing dreamily. Kuroo smirked at his lovestruck friend, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy in his chest. It wasn’t that he was jealous of his friend, but rather the love that his friend felt. 

Bokuto was aware of how lucky he was to find someone who he felt so strongly about. He said it all the time.  _ ‘Ah, I’m so lucky to have found a guy like him!’ ‘I really lucked out, didn’t I?’  _ Bokuto knew that it didn’t happen to everyone. 

What Bokuto didn’t know was how desperate Kuroo was to have it, too. 

He wanted it- wanted  _ that.  _ He wanted to wake up to someone else in his bed- not just a one night stand, a throwaway night of pleasure. He wanted someone real, someone who would laugh at his bedhead and put off their responsibilities together in favor of another hour under the covers. He wanted to be in love. 

Alas, it seemed the universe was holding out on him. 

Sure, he wasn’t a stranger to pleasure. He’d had flings, he’d been on dates, he’d felt passing attraction. But nothing ever stuck. He’d never felt that spark, that pull on his heart. 

He knew it was real. He’d watched it happen to his best friend over the course of a month. There was no doubt in his mind that what Bokuto and Akaashi shared was real, real and  _ passionate.  _

And Kuroo  _ wanted.  _

He wanted so damn bad, so bad it was a physical ache in his chest that not even a night of drinking had seemed to quell. 

Kuroo was forcibly drawn out of his train of thought by the abrasive ringing of Bokuto’s phone. The shrill chime seemed to dig into his head, burrowing into his skull with every note. Kuroo clasped his hands over his ears and scowled at Bokuto, who sheepishly dug his phone out and answered, blessedly ending the attack on Kuroo’s eardrums. 

“Akaashi? Your wallet? Let me- Oh, yeah I see it. Should I come to you or do you want to come here? Alright, I’ll see you. Bye!” 

Kuroo looked up questioningly as Bokuto stuck his phone back in his pocket. 

“Akaashi left his wallet here last night, he’s coming by to pick it up in a few,” Bokuto explained, gesturing to an unassuming leather wallet on the counter by the door before turning back around to fiddle with whatever he had cooking on the stove. Kuroo just grunted in acknowledgement and focused back on his coffee. 

Akaashi was knocking on the door within minutes and Bokuto happily let him in with a dopey smile on his face. Kuroo gave him a nod of greeting. 

“Thank you for dealing with us last night, I…” Kuroo trailed off, not quite knowing if he should apologize or praise the man for being so responsible. 

“No worries, Kuroo-san. Did you find Kenma’s channel alright?” Akaashi asked over his shoulder as he hung his coat by the door. Bokuto gave him an inquisitive look, but Kuroo was as lost as he was. 

“Who?” 

Akaashi turned to him, chuckling. “I should’ve known you wouldn’t remember. You were pretty out of it,” he said softly. “Kozume Kenma. He livestreams himself playing games on Twitch and then he uploads them on Youtube. Last night, in the car, you heard his voice playing on my phone and it put you right to sleep. You said you’d look him up, but I can see that’s not the case.”

Kuroo made a face of apology. “I… really don’t remember much of last night. What did you say his name was?” 

“Kozume Kenma. His channel is KeNeko, I believe. He’s big on cats, from what I’ve heard,” Akaashi replied. 

Likes cats, huh? That was a big win in Kuroo’s book. He reached back to pull his phone from the pocket of his sweatpants before realizing that, one, he wasn’t wearing any pants, and two, his phone was still lying on his bedside table. 

Excusing himself from the conversation and leaving Bokuto and Akaashi to moon over each other with that sickeningly loving look in their eyes, Kuroo strode back into the bedroom. Grabbing his phone and flopping onto his bed, he pulled up his browser and typed ‘keneko’ into the search bar. 

He clicked the first link and was brought to a home page of a streaming channel, muted colors and thumbnails of various videos greeting him enthusiastically. He picked one at random and waited somewhat tensely for it to load. 

He blinked.

Kuroo wasn’t sure what (or, rather,  _ who _ ) he had expected Kozume Kenma to be, but it certainly hadn’t been this. 

The boy on the screen must have been Kuroo’s age, if not younger. His hair reached his chin and it was bottle blonde, but there was at least an inch of darker natural roots at the crown of his head. His eyes were sharp and vaguely feline, a striking golden color that was complemented by his pale skin. 

He was beautiful. 

Kuroo sucked in a breath through his teeth as he stared, and stared, and stared. 

Kozume Kenma was absolutely stunning. 

Then he spoke. 

His tone was familiar (Kuroo had heard it before, even if he didn’t consciously remember it), but it was simultaneously like nothing he’d ever heard before. The soft way he clipped his vowels, the emphasis he put on certain words, it all wove together to sound like a melody. 

For the first time in years, the dull ache of loneliness in his chest seem to fade, ever so slightly.

Maybe it was too early to tell, maybe it was simply a strong physical attraction. 

But looking back, Kuroo could say with almost one hundred percent certainty that that was the day he had started to fall in love with Kozume Kenma. 

————— 

**Chris Games ☑️** @gamingwithchristophe ⋅ 15m

Small Streamer Sunday: This week’s shoutout goes out to  **@keneko.games** ! Kenma is a gaming streamer who specializes in first person shooters, platformers, and (my personal favorite) remaining completely unfazed while playing horror games. Go check him out! (tell him Chris sent you!)

> **miss girl** @luigifanclub ⋅ 12m
> 
> omg he’s cute  (╯✧▽✧)╯

> **Char-latte** @charcharbinks ⋅ 10m
> 
> I can just tell that he’d gonna be a big streamer some day. Sooner rather than later. Go check him out now so that you can say you watched before he got popular! 

> **the missing kardashian sister** @greengecko  ⋅ 9m
> 
> screw streaming, someone get this guy to narrate an audiobook or some shit his voice is like fucking honey

> **miss girl** @luigifanclub  ⋅ 5m
> 
> **@greengecko** seriously!!!! it’s so soothing :D

—————

The first time Kenma truly interacted with the online presence known simply as ‘Chemistry King’, he’d just broken a thousand viewers on a single stream. 

Sure, he’d seen the name before, occasionally in the chat and quite often in his viewing history, but they’d never actually made contact with each other. There had never been a reason to. None of Chemistry King’s comments were directed specifically at Kenma, they were broader statements, responses to other viewers, simply the letter ‘f’. 

Their first interaction was short and concise. Chemistry King sent him five dollars and a message that read, ‘ _ congrats on one thousand viewers! you deserve it (=^･ω･^=)’.  _ Kenma gave a nod and thanked him for his support, his face never revealing the way that his stomach flipped inexplicably, or that a shiver had run down his spine. He pushed down the urge to ask for his name so that Kenma could thank him properly.

He’d never done that before, it would have been strange to start then, he told himself. 

He decisively pushed Chemistry King out of his mind for the rest of the stream, not willing to give up his concentration for some anonymous, one-time supporter. There was no real reason to dwell on him. 

So then, why was Kenma lying awake even later than he usually did, still thinking about some anonymous donor? 

The answer was, there was no answer. He had  _ no clue  _ what made Chemistry King special. Nothing tangible stood out. His message was kind, but concise. His cat emoticon was somewhat endearing, but not too strange. His username was unique, but Kenma had certainly seen weirder. 

So, no. There was nothing. 

Nothing but a gut instinct that something about him was  _ special,  _ somehow. 

Hinata noticed at breakfast, of course. Academically, he was a certifiable idiot, but he could figure out a friend’s emotions before they did. It was no surprise that he easily picked up on Kenma’s mental turmoil. He had probably sensed Kenma’s late night stewing from his own bedroom.

“Is everything alright, Kenma?” Hinata asked, concern lacing his voice. Kenma waved him off. 

“M’fine. Just tired, is all. Couldn’t sleep.” 

Hinata nodded, quite familiar with Kenma’s frequent battles with insomnia, and turned back to his cereal. He finished quickly and was out the door no more than five minutes later.

Kenma took his time eating the apple he’d mindlessly grabbed from the bowl. He spent the next hour or so aimlessly drifting between activities, nothing keeping him engaged for more than a handful of minutes. 

Before he knew it, it was time to stream once more. 

Kenma was always nervous in the moments before he pressed the button to go live, to send himself into the homes of a thousand strangers, but this time he was more so. 

He couldn’t stop wondering if Chemistry King was watching. 

He forced himself not to check. If Chemistry King reached out, if he extended a metaphorical hand, Kenma would take it. If not, Kenma would let it be and try his best to forget. 

“Hello, everyone. It’s nice to see you again. Today, I’m going to be playing a game that someone on Twitter told me about- follow me on Twitter at KeNeko-dot-games if you want to send me a suggestion, I also do polls or things like that sometimes. Anyways, this game is called  _ Until Dawn,  _ and to be honest, I haven’t heard much about it. It came out, what, two years ago? Two and a half? I’ve never seen it, never played it, so I’m going in completely blind. Let’s see how this goes, I guess.” 

Kenma played as he always did. Mercilessly and without fear.

This was one of the main draws of his channel, he knew that. His unflappable ability to play though the goriest of horror games and the most startling of jumpscares without batting an eye was a feat that many flocked to, even if just to see it with their own eyes.

After watching one of the onscreen characters be brutally sawn in half by a spinning chainsaw without even a wince, Kenma knew this game wouldn’t be the one that broke him. Perhaps, one day, he’d meet his match, he’d find a game that made him jump and shake in fear, but he knew with confidence that that day was still in the future. 

A donation popped up on his screen and he paused the game’s dialogue to read it to the camera. 

“‘How do you stay so calm? I literally just jumped out of my seat and I’m not even the one playing’,” Kenma read aloud. He chuckled softly, then scanned for the username to thank the donor and froze. 

Luckily, his poker face wasn’t reserved to just video games.

“Ah, Chemistry King, it all comes down to a healthy dose of emotional repression. Thank you for your donation,” he said calmly, as if he wasn’t dying inside. 

Chemistry King didn’t donate again for the rest of the stream. He didn’t need to. Kenma knew he was there. His presence lurked at the back of Kenma’s mind, inexplicable in it’s persistence and damning in it’s distraction. 

Perhaps it was the anonymity that had him so captivated. The fact that, no matter what he did, no matter how hard he looked, he wouldn’t learn a single thing about Chemistry King. Not as a person, at least. He could find how many donations he’d given, or how many of Kenma’s streams he’d watched. 

But Kenma couldn’t find the color of his eyes, or how many siblings he had, or what city he lived in. 

Chemistry King was a mystery.

One Kenma wasn’t quite sure he could leave unsolved. 

—————

**r/gaming**

**Sizzlife** ⋅ 30m

how do I suggest a game for kenma (keneko) to play??? He always says something like ‘someone recommended i play this game’ but how do i recommend them???

> **Banditech** ⋅ 23m
> 
> Most people tweet at him (@/keneko.games) since he’s pretty active on twitter (at least with his likes, he doesn’t post much). You can also put it in chat in a stream (though it’s likely to get lost). Best method is a dono, but be careful with your wording or you might incur the wrath of the Chemistry King :D

> **Nightfo** ⋅ 19m
> 
> wait who is the chemistry king im pretty new to kenmas streams
> 
> **Banditech** ⋅ 18m
> 
> Chemistry King is some guy who’s watched Kenma’s streams for a super long time, he’s sort of like his bodyguard against creeps and trolls. No one knows if he really knows Kenma or if he’s just a big fan, but watch for him next time you catch a stream. He donates at least once a stream and he usually says something funny or teasing. It’s all in good fun, though. He and Kenma seem to be friends

> **Nightfo** ⋅ 12m
> 
> oh lol that’s kinda gay

> **Banditech** ⋅ 8m
> 
> Yeah, that’s… kind of to be expected when one man is shamelessly flirting with another man in front of a live audience, it would seem to be “kinda gay”. 

—————

It was coming up on a year since Kuroo had seen that first video on Kenma’s channel. It was more like six months since he’d first donated, but it had taken a lot more courage than he’d had at first to actually  _ talk.  _

The payoff, however, was priceless. 

Even if it was just his username, hearing Kenma say something,  _ anything,  _ specifically meant for Kuroo was inexplicably exhilarating. 

After he’d donated the first time, after that first point of contact had been made, it was like the floodgates had opened. Kuroo watched every stream he could and donated as often as he was able to. It wasn’t much (though it was still probably more than he could afford) but it was absolutely worth it. 

They’d developed something of a friendship- if it could be called that. At the very least, they had some semblance of a connection now, with stupid inside jokes and friendly teasing. It was easy now to send a comment or a donation. None of the laborious agonizing over what to  _ say,  _ what perfect message he could craft to get his point across as poignantly as possible. 

Now, it was almost as if he could ignore the fact that he was not, in fact, talking to Kenma alone, but rather that he was one in a rapidly growing crowd. 

Not that he wasn’t happy for the man- don’t get him wrong. Kuroo was ecstatic that Kenma was finally getting more of the recognition that he deserved. The issue was, back when he had first sent a donation, Kenma had barely been at one thousand viewers. 

These days, he was hitting tens of thousands of concurrent views. It was far less… intimate. Before, there were days when Kuroo would be the only one to donate. The only one who truly got Kenma’s attention, even if just for a moment. 

Now, it would be unusual for Kenma to get any less than a dozen donations. That was good, Kuroo always attempted to convince himself. It was good that Kenma was making more money, that he was gaining more popularity. 

Even if it meant that Kuroo could feel what little grasp he had on Kenma’s attention slowly slipping away. 

It was worth it, Kuroo decided as he sat at his desk in the back room of the ice cream parlor he managed. It was worth it if it made Kenma happier. 

A knock on the door jolted Kuroo out of his reverie. 

“Kuroo-san? We’re… We’re out of chocolate chips… Again,” Yamamoto admitted guiltily from the doorway. 

“Are we?” Kuroo deadpanned, then he sighed. “Why is that, Yamamoto, when I doubled our order this month?” 

“Yamamoto spilled most of them last week,” came a shout from somewhere beyond the door. Yamamoto’s face was a perfect mask of utter betrayal. 

“Yaku, you said you wouldn’t tell! I bought your silence with coffee!” Yamamoto bemoaned, slumping against the door frame in complete and utter defeat. Kuroo sighed again, long and sustained.

“Yamamoto, you’re taking the Hell shift this week. And next week. And that week after that. That’s all. Now, go back to work,” Kuroo stated bluntly, waving his hand dismissively as he turned back to his paperwork. He didn’t need to look up to see the look of betrayal the other man was certainly giving him, followed by dismay, and finally acceptance. The door clicked as he closed it behind him. 

The Hell shift, otherwise known as the Friday shift between the hours of 2:00pm and 4:00pm, during which every child of elementary school age comes to the Nekoma Ice Cream Parlor in search of a way to kick off the weekend. 

When Kuroo had first started working under his high school volleyball coach, he’d been a first year in university and desperate for a job. Nekomata had offered him a position, but only under the condition that he work every Friday, no exceptions. Kuroo, broke college student extraordinaire, had accepted. From there, he worked his way through the ranks until he could take over ownership of the little ice cream parlor that had been his saving grace as a teen. 

His phone chimed suddenly, breaking the tentative silence that had fallen over his small office.

**bokubro:** _ who is keneko? _

Kuroo paused. How did Bokuto know who Kenma was? Sure, Akaashi had been the first person to introduce Kuroo to his channel, but Bokuto didn’t have the attention span to watch commercials, much less a multi-hour gaming stream. 

**me:** _ a gaming streamer i watch _

**me:** _ why? _

**bokubro:** _ you left yourself a note on the bathroom mirror about him and i got curious _

Kuroo winced. Kenma had just hit a million subscribers on Youtube and he was doing a special Q&A stream to celebrate. Kuroo could not miss it. He could’ve sworn he’d taken the note down, but the morning had been hectic. He honestly wasn’t surprised he’d forgotten something. 

**bokubro:** _ he means something to you, doesn’t he? _

Kuroo froze. Instinctively, he pressed the call button and held his phone up to his ear. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have over text. Bokuto picked up after two rings. 

“Kuroo?” He asked from the other end of the line. 

“How could you tell?” Kuroo blurted, sitting back in his desk chair. Bokuto let out a long sigh before he spoke again. 

“I mean, really, I guessed. But it was an educated guess. You’ve been… different lately. Akaashi agrees. Not bad different! Just… different. I would’ve assumed you’d met someone if I didn’t know your exact schedule down to the minute. So I’ve been waiting for something to show up and tell me what it is that’s changed you. I got it, didn’t I?”   


Kuroo let out a breath. “Yeah. It- It’s sort of difficult to explain.”

“Have you ever met him?” Bokuto asked. 

Kuroo’s silence spoke volumes. 

“...Okay. Does he know what you look like?”

More silence. 

“Kuroo, does he know your name?”   
  
“Bokuto, it’s not that simple. I…” Kuroo trailed off, searching for the right words. “Kenma means something to me, yeah. He means… He’s important to me. But that’s not reciprocal. That isn’t how this works. He’s got hundreds of thousands of fans. It doesn’t matter how much he might mean to me, I’m just one in a million.”

Bokuto whistled. “Kuroo, I’ll be honest. That sounds… sort of painful. Doesn't that hurt? Knowing that he doesn’t know you?”   
  
“I don't care if it hurts!” Kuroo snapped, suddenly defensive. “I don’t care if it breaks my heart, I can’t give it up. I can’t give him up.”

“...You’re in love with him, aren’t you.”

Kuroo sighed. “Yeah. I think I am.” 

“Kuroo, you’re in love with someone you’ve never met. That’s just asking for pain, man! How can you do that to yourself?” Bokuto demanded, almost angrily. 

“Because I’ve never been in love before! And I am sure as hell not going to let it go now that I have it!” Kuroo nearly shouted. Bokuto was silent on the other end of the line. 

“Kuroo… Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked softly, sounding almost defeated. 

“Bokuto, you and Akaashi… You guys found something so rare, I… It’s hard, man. Living right next to someone who’s found ‘true love’ and all that bullshit and not having it for yourself. So if I find something even  _ close  _ to that, I don’t care how strange or inevitably painful it might be, I’m not gonna let it go!” 

Kuroo paused to catch his breath before he spoke again, this time being sure to keep his voice at a regular volume. 

“I really am sorry that I never told you, Bo. I honestly just… didn’t know how. But I don’t care what you say to me. I’m not letting this go. And if all I get is live streams, then I’ll take it. Please don’t fight me on this. Please.”

“...I won’t. Under one condition. You stop with this whole ‘hiding things that hurt you’ bullshit. I’m your best friend, bro! What kinda best friend would I be if I wasn’t there for you?” Bokuto paused. “You love him. I’m not going to ask you to give that up. Just...remember that, if you chose to let go, there are other people out there. You’ll find love again. I swear.”

When Kuroo didn’t respond, Bokuto took the hint and hung up with a quick goodbye. 

Kuroo dragged a hand over his face and through his hair, letting the hand holding his phone drop to his side haphazardly. 

Yeah. Kuroo loved Kenma. Somehow, through minimal online interaction, he’d managed to fall head over heels in love with someone he’d never met.

It felt a bit like the gods were laughing at him.

All he’d wanted, all he’d asked for, was to end the loneliness. To fall in love. 

He’d done that, hadn’t he? 

In a twisted, roundabout way, he’d managed to fall in love. 

In all honesty, however, he wouldn’t let go of Kenma not because he didn’t want to (though he didn’t).

He wouldn’t let go of Kenma because he  _ couldn’t. _

Physically, mentally, emotionally. Kenma had ingrained himself in Kuroo’s psyche entirely. 

Sure, this would probably end painfully.

But for now, Kuroo was in love.

And that would have to do. 

—————

**lucy** @kodzuken.fan ⋅ 39m

is kenma’s roommate JUST a roommate? they definitely seem reeeeeally close…… #kenhina #keneko

> **Kenma’s girl** @keneko.love
> 
> Kenma is straight though?

> **gamer girl bathwater** @poshybloom
> 
> ...who’s gonna tell her
> 
> **Kenma’s girl** @keneko.love
> 
> Tell me what? 

> **gamer girl bathwater** @poshybloom
> 
> All The Times Kenma Kozume Made It Clear That He Likes Men:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTYlesueJCM

> **Kenma’s girl** @keneko.love
> 
> He is straight I don’t need to watch that

> **lucy** @kodzuken.fan
> 
> miss girl HOW can you be a fan of kenma and STILL be a homophobe… that’s so ridiculous i have to laugh… you better not say shit like that to chemistry king he’ll beat your ass

—————

  
  


Kenma has categorized all of his relationships into levels for as long as he can remember. 

Level One: Strangers

These are the people you nod to on the subway when they offer you a seat, or who you make silent eye contact with at a movie theater when someone is being obnoxious. There’s no real connection with a stranger. 

Level Two: Acquaintances 

This level includes the regular barista who is the only one who can make your coffee just right. Your roommates coworkers, who are all far too loud. Classmates/coworkers that you would feel comfortable asking for help on something. You know them on the surface, you might know their name or their dog, but you don’t really  _ know  _ them. 

Level Three: Friends

For Kenma, it’s quite rare for someone to make the jump from level two to level three. They would need a massive power up of some sort, like a copy of an advance release of a new game or an uncanny ability to make apple pie. Very few people achieve this level. 

Level Four: Hinata Shouyou

This level is named after Hinata Shouyou, as he is the only person to get this far. Perhaps someday, another person will come along, and level four will be renamed to something like “best friends”, or “platonic soulmates”, but for now, Hinata Shouyou is the only one who has achieved this level, and it is thus his namesake. 

Level Five: Lovers 

This level has yet to be unlocked. Please come back when you have gained more XP in the form of human interaction. 

See, Kenma has lived with these levels all his life. He could vividly recall the day in second grade when he’d mentioned it offhandedly to a classmate, only to be met with confusion and judgement. 

He’d spoken a lot less after that. 

It didn’t deter him from his level system, however. He still categorized, still mentally registered who moved up and down in the ranks. He just never told anyone. 

Everyone fit into a level. Everyone had a set place, and though they could boost up a level or fall all the way back to level one, they all made sense. They all fit. 

Everyone, that is, but the Chemistry King. 

He was elusive, uncategorizable. 

Technically, he should be a stranger. Kenma knew approximately jack shit about him, not even his real name. He should fit squarely in level one. 

But he wasn’t a stranger. He was funny, and charming, and he knew what Kenma’s favorite food was and he could tell when Kenma had stayed up too late or when Hinata drank the last of the coffee that morning. 

In that respect, he could practically be a level three. 

But the idea of having someone Kenma had never even  _ seen  _ in level  _ three,  _ it was preposterous. Unheard of. Stupid. 

Kenma didn’t even let the thought of level five cross his mind. 

He couldn’t. It wasn’t because he was afraid Chemistry King was ugly or creepy (though the fear of him being an old pervert had crossed his mind multiple times). It was because what they had was good. 

The banter, the teasing compliments, the biting remarks and the witty rebuttals. They were fun and interesting and Kenma loved it. 

And Kenma wasn’t like that in real life. 

If Chemistry King was interested in KeNeko, that wasn’t a guarantee that he would be interested in Kenma. 

Kenma, who hadn’t woken up before noon since high school. Kenma, who wore the same sweater for a week straight once. Kenma, who has to ask his extroverted friends to order take out for him over the phone. 

There was a reason Kenma had yet to unlock level five. 

Reaching out to Chemistry King, bridging the gap between them, that would be like inviting disappointment into his life. He could very well ruin one of the few friendships he had, unorthodox as it might be. 

Sighing heavily, Kenma grabbed his phone from it’s place on the bedside table and opened up a pvp game that he could probably play with his eyes closed, simply to kill time. 

The same argument had been circling in his head for days. To reach out, or to stay in reclusivity. To extend a hand, or to continue as they were. 

Not doing anything was safer by a considerable margin. 

But not doing anything meant… not doing anything. 

The text chime of his phone jolted him out of his reverie and he hurriedly paused his game to read the message on the top of his screen. 

**shouyou:** _ work is so slowwwwww right now!!! come visit???? please????? _

**shouyou:** _ i know you’re just sitting on your butt thinking about chemistry king. come out and get your mind off of him for a few hours.  _

Kenma scowled at the phone. Really, his roommate knew him all too well. He regretted ever telling Hinata about his complicated feelings for his biggest fan.

Besides that, Hinata had complained all day about how no one ever came to the bar on Tuesdays, lamenting his inevitable boredom. Kenma had been expecting this text for a few hours now. Really, he was just shocked it came in this late. 

**me:** _ on my way _

**shouyou:** _ :D _

Kenma changed quickly and gave a (somewhat despairing) parting glance to his computer set up before he was out the door and on the street. 

The air was brisk, but not cold enough to make him shiver. He debated taking his car, but he figured that he would probably drink enough this evening to make it dangerous to drive home. Hinata only invited him to the bar when it was near empty, something he was extraordinarily grateful for. 

That’s the issue with hating crowds. You never know if the crowd will be there until you show up, and by that point, it’s always too embarrassing to go home. The only times Kenma went out were when Hinata hinted at the fact that the bar was somewhere below 25% of it’s normal capacity, meaning Kenma could sit at the bar and the only people he’d be expected to talk to would be Hinata and his coworkers.

He nodded once to Ushijima, who recognized Kenma and let him in without a fuss. The bar itself was barren but very warm, the temperature cranked up to where Oikawa liked to keep it. 

The place was near empty and Hinata was unoccupied, slumped over the bar with a faraway look in his eyes. Kenma walked up and sat in front of him, but the redhead paid him no mind. 

Odd. Hinata usually jumped at any opportunity to get Kenma out of the house, so when he did go out, Hinata was all over him. Now, however, he didn’t seem to have noticed Kenma at all. 

Hinata frowned slightly and tilted his head, his brows furrowing. Kenma turned in his seat to follow his gaze, and-

Ah. 

Right. The attractive baker across the street was leaning against the bakery’s front counter, making conversation with one of the other employees. It had been a while since Kenma had gotten a glimpse of Hinata’s elusive crush, but he was as handsome as ever. 

A classic kind of handsome, with dark hair and broad shoulders. 

Briefly, Kenma wondered if Chemistry King was a classic kind of handsome, or if his looks were unconventional. 

“Hey, Kenma! I caught your stream the other day! It was great!” 

Kenma turned to face Nishinoya Yuu, one of Hinata’s bartender friends. He was nice enough, a solid level two. Quite loud and more than a bit brash, but Hinata enjoyed his company, so Kenma had learned to do so as well. 

“Thank you,” Kenma replied with a slight incline of his head. Hinata jolted and turned to Kenma sheepishly. 

“How long have you been here? Was I zoned out?” Hinata asked, picking up a stray glass and wiping it down with a dish cloth. Kenma waved a hand. 

“It’s alright. You were… busy,” he said, raising his eyebrows suggestively. 

Hinata flushed. “Shhh, you! Do you want a drink?”

Kenma nodded and Hinata turned away, leaving Kenma to his own devices. He fiddled with his phone for a minute, playing some effortless mobile game that took approximately 0.5% of his brain power. 

The night passed quickly. Hinata didn’t drink, as he never did when he was working, but Kenma found himself five or so drinks deep in a matter of hours. He didn’t drink in his day-to-day life, maybe a beer or a glass of wine every now and again, but his fear of being even remotely tispy on a stream limited his available drinking hours. 

Hinata cut him off after he drained the bottom of his sixth glass of something fruity and sweet. It was a good idea on his part, given that, though Kenma had a pretty high tolerance, his hangovers were always  _ killer.  _ That, and his decision making skills became seriously impaired after around drink number three.

“Alright, Kenma, let’s get you home,” Hinata declared, somehow having closed the whole bar down without Kenma noticing. 

Wow. Maybe he was drunker than he thought he was. 

“What did you put in those drinks, Shouyou? I’m in fucking outer space right now,” Kenma mumbled, much to Hinata’s delight. 

“And here I was thinking you could hold your alcohol, Kenma!” Hinata chuckled, wrapping Kenma’s arm around his shoulders and walking him to the car. He deposited him in the backseat with very little grace, but Kenma was too out of it to mind. 

The ride passed in an instant, and Kenma was stumbling to the door before he could blink. Hinata, being the saint he was, guided Kenma all the way to his room, pulling his shoes off and leaving a glass of water on his bedside table. Kenma mumbled his thanks and fell face first into his bed. 

When he awoke the next morning, his head was being overrun by what felt like a tribe of ants with swords. Groaning, he used what little coordination he could muster to chug the glass of water beside him, which did make him feel marginally better. 

He grabbed his phone and unplugged it, blearily staring at the screen for a moment before bolting straight upright. 

There was a notification on his screen. 

**2 Private Message notifications** _ 8:26am _

**Chemistryking:** _ kuroo.  _

**Chemistryking:** _ why do you ask? _

Oh, God. 

What had Drunk Kenma done? 

Frantically, Kenma racked his mind for a memory, but he came up completely blank. What had he asked him? Kuroo, that was a name, wasn’t it?

Could that be  _ his  _ name? 

_ What the hell was happening? _

No, no, there was a chat history. There, Kenma could find out just what he had said. The only issue was that he would need to open Chemistry King’s (Kuroo’s?) message to do that, which would give him the notification that Kenma had seen the message, which would mean Kenma would have to reply if he wanted to keep things from being awkward. 

Well. 

No better time than the present.

Taking a deep breath, Kenma swiped the notification and opened the mobile app. 

**Private Message: Chemistry King**

_ Today 3:58am _

**Me:** _ what’s your name? _

_ Today 8:26am _

**Chemistryking:** _ kuroo. _

**Chemistryking:** _ why do you ask? _

Kenma let out a breath. That wasn’t so bad. This was still salvageable. 

_ Today 1:02pm _

**Me:** _ it’s just odd that i feel like i’ve known you for a while and i don’t know your name _

**Me:** _ and isn’t it rude of me to never properly thank you for all the donations you’ve given? _

There. Perfectly reasonable explanation. Enough that if Kuroo thought he was being creepy, he could brush it off as something he did with all his long-time donors, but if he thought it was sweet, then Kenma would roll with that. 

**Chemistryking:** _ makes sense _

**Chemistryking:** _ well then, my name is kuroo and it is a pleasure to finally speak to you _

**Me:** _ wouldn’t you say that we speak all the time? _

**Chemistryking:** _ in front of an audience, yes. but this is the first time i’ve ever spoken to you privately.  _

**Chemistryking:** _ it’s an honor, truly. _

Kenma suppressed a childish giggle, but he could do nothing to quell the butterflies in his stomach.

Sure, Kuroo was flirtatious all the time in donations and in the chat, but to be on the receiving end of it in private, with no other viewers and no expectations or reputation to uphold? It was more than a bit exhilarating. 

**Me:** _ well then, kuroo, i’ll see you at the stream? _

**Chemistryking:** _ i wouldn’t miss it for the world. _

Kenma flushed. 

It gave him a thrill to finally,  _ finally,  _ give a name to the faceless entity that took over his waking thoughts. 

Kuroo. 

_ Kuroo.  _

Quite honestly, a name had never been so beautiful. 

————— 

**Super Mario Maker - part 2 (w/ Hinata Shouyou) (11/11/2019)** **  
** _ 4,729,453 views ・Nov 13th, 2019 _

KeNeko ☑️

_ 2.4M subscribers _

Me and my roommate, back by popular demand, play through some Super Mario Maker. The catch is that he’s really bad.

Originally streamed 11/11/2019

_ 2,428 Comments _ __ _ Sort by: Likes _

**Duolayer** _ 2 hours ago _

Did anyone else notice a cut at  1:16:53 or am I going crazy lol

> **Blazero** _ 1 hour ago _
> 
> yeah its there you aren’t tripping. don't know why though. anyone here from the og stream who can enlighten us?

> **Diagonaldiamond** _ 1 hour ago _
> 
> lol i am! in the og stream, hinata made some teasing comment that the mic doesn't pick up and kenma got all red and flustered. he probably took it out so that the comments wouldn't be flooded with people asking what he said

> **Plankey** _ 45 minutes ago _
> 
> Omg do you think they’re dating and he said something inappropriate? 

> **Diagonaldiamond** _ 37 minutes ago _
> 
> idk but it kinda seems like it lmao. i mean he was definitely teasing him about something, but i don't think we’ll ever know what :/

————— 

Kuroo screwed shut his eyes tightly and bit his lip, trying in vain to somehow magic away the stack of papers on his desk. Nekomata was considering opening a new venue closer to the heart of the city, which left Kuroo with the paperwork to find a building, buy that building, find new employees, and somehow do it all on an extraordinarily tight budget.

When he opened his eyes again, the work was still on his desk. 

Disappointing, but not a surprise. 

Rifling through the stack, he searched half-heartedly for a specific piece of paper, the one that listed possible tenants for the space above their hypothetical new building. When it didn’t appear after two full passes through his work space, he thought back to who had had it last.

Yamamoto had taken it, but he’d given up and passed it to Fukunaga, who was sick, so he gave it to Yaku who-

Who had given it to Lev. 

Lucky for him that Lev was working now. 

Pushing the door to the main parlor open, he called out without looking, “Yo, Lev. Did you ever finish that paperwork for the-” Kuroo froze, the sentence dying in his mouth. He blinked once. Twice.

No, his eyes weren’t deceiving him. The same bright hair, the shiny eyes, the enthusiastic grin. It was him, without a doubt. Kenma’s roommate. 

“Hinata? Hinata Shouyou?” He blurted, his brain-to-mouth filter seemingly temporarily disabled. 

Hinata’s eyes widened perceptibly and he searched Kuroo’s face, presumably looking for an answer as to why some stranger in an ice cream parlor had recognized him.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Hinata asked, his voice almost apologetic. 

“Oh, no,” Kuroo assured. He laughed nervously and waved a hand, as if to clear the air. “I watch your roommate’s game streams.”

_ Understatement of the year award goes to… _

Luckily, Hinata seemed unfazed. In fact, he laughed lightly and grinned. “Oh! You know, it’s sort of fun getting recognized when I go out places! What’s your name?” Hinata asked cheerily as he extended a small hand out for a handshake. 

Kuroo grasped it. His mind reminded him unhelpfully that he’d seen that same hand wrapped around a gaming controller no less than a day ago. It was a strange realization. 

“I’m Kuroo. Kuroo Tetsurou.”

He had not expected Hinata’s mouth to fall open, jaw slack and eyes wide in surprise.

“Chemistry King Kuroo?” 

Now it was Kuroo’s turn to be shocked. Kenma had asked for his name a few days ago, something he still hadn’t recovered from. He’d assumed it was just something he did to feel closer to fans, a private message from the streamer being a privilege extended to all those in the inner circles of the chat. 

It was not something he’d expected Kenma to tell his roommate about. 

“I- yeah, I guess,” he managed to stutter, his hand instinctively reaching up to rub the back of his neck. “How did you- How’d you know that?”

Had he read Kenma’s messages? Had Kenma been mocking him? No, that couldn’t be it. Could it? Had he been misreading their friendship this whole time?

“Kenma talks about you sometimes,” Hinata remarked, as if it was obvious. Seemingly realizing what he’d just said, he clasped a hand over his mouth with wide eyes. 

_ What.  _

“Don’t tell him I said that. Do not tell him I said that,” Hinata amended quickly, holding his hands out in front of him. “He’ll literally murder me in my sleep.”

Kuroo could feel Lev staring at him inquisitively, but he stoutly ignored him.

“He talks about me?” Kuroo asked. Was that a joke? If it was, it was a pretty shitty one. 

Hinata lifted a brow. “Well, yeah. Do you think he dm’s just anyone?”  _ Yes, actually.  _ “That’s the most Kenma has ever interacted with a fan. Ever.”

Kuroo was now convinced he was dreaming. It was the only plausible explanation. 

“I really shouldn’t be telling you this. I’m gonna get beat up when I get home,” Hinata lamented with a wince. Kuroo’s head was still spinning. He was saved from having to respond immediately by Hinata’s kid sister tugging on her brother’s sleeve, presumably upset that her quest for ice cream had been interrupted. 

“Does Kenma Nii-chan like boys instead of girls, too, Shouyou?” The little girl asked sweetly, as if she was still wrapping her head around the concept. Hinata smiled down at her.

“Kenma likes games, Natsu,” he replied calmly, patting her head. 

Shit. Was this Hinata’s way of letting Kuroo down gently? Had Kenma sent Hinata to find him simply to pass along the message that he needed to stop being a creep with a massive crush on someone he’d never actually met?

“But he also likes kings,” Hinata finished, glancing up from his sister to wink at Kuroo. 

And with that, the floor fell out from under his feet. Kuroo wasn’t sure how long he stared at Hinata, who just looked back at him with a pleased sort of half-smile on his face. Suddenly, his face lit up, as if he’d just had a brilliant idea. Grinning, he leaned forward and braced his hands on the counter, staring at Kuroo intensely. 

“Do you have a pen?”

Kuroo, still in a daze, reached for his back pocket and pulled out the sharpie he’d been using to mark up Nekmoata’s floor plan of the new shop. Hinata smiled coyly and grabbed Kuroo’s hand, biting his lip unconsciously as he scrawled a series of digits on Kuroo’s skin. 

In fact, it had the same amount of digits as a phone-

Wait. 

Kuroo tensed, the whiplash of the direction this conversation seemed to be heading in sending his mind reeling. 

“I’m sorry, but you aren’t really my type,” Kuroo stammered, looking between the number on his hand and the grinning face in front of him.  _ In fact, I think I’m in love with your roommate, who I have never met.  _

Hinata just laughed, which was not the typical reaction of someone being rejected.

“That’s not my number,” Hinata giggles. “For someone who claims to be a king of chemistry, you’re a bit slow on the uptake.” Kuroo stared at him, racking his head for the answer that seemed to be right in front of him, right there, just-

Wait.

No. 

No way. 

Hinata wouldn’t give him  _ Kenma’s  _ number, would he?

Not unless-

“Is it- Really? And that’s… okay?” Kuroo stammered, his ability to form coherent sentences somehow eluding him. Hinata tapped his chin, as if in deep thought. 

“Hmm… Well, worst case scenario, he doesn’t respond. Or, I should say that’s the worst case scenario for  _ you.  _ I might get rat poison in my dinner. But I’m pretty sure this is a good idea!” Hinata declared, as if he hadn’t just turned Kuroo’s entire world on it’s head. 

“You… really don’t think many things through, do you?” Kuroo asked dubiously. Hinata didn’t seem like the kind of person to be Kenma’s best friend, but Kuroo figured that if Kenma liked him, he had to be a good guy. 

“Nope!” Hinata replied cheerily. Kuroo shook his head and pulled his phone out. His head was swimming, possibilities of what to say floating through his mind like a raging ocean. This was different from a donation, or a quick, concise private message after a stream. 

This was Kenma Kozume’s  _ personal phone number.  _

There was no way to get lost in the crowd now. If he said something stupid and Kenma didn’t respond, he couldn’t just placate himself by saying he must have missed it in a moment of intense concentration. 

Suddenly, everything was a lot more real. 

His fingers shook slightly as he saved the number on his hand in his phone. He debated with himself for a moment about what to save it under, but settled for something simple and unassuming. 

He typed out a message and hit send before he could think twice. 

**me:** _ hi! it’s kuroo  _ (^._.^)ﾉ

The second the text was sent, Kuroo began to doubt.

Was he coming on too strong? Was the message too vague? Was the emoji too much? Should the emoji have been happier? Should he have made it a normal emoji instead of a cat one? No, Kenma liked cats. Right?

Christ, he hadn’t thought about his wording this much since the first day he donated. 

**kenma:** _ hi.  _

Kuroo’s breath caught in his chest. 

This was it. 

Kenma was actually responding to him. 

Kenma Kozume was texting him back. 

_ Holy shit.  _

**me:** _ hinata gave me your number! i hope that’s okay? _

Was that too much pressure? He wanted to be cordial, courteous. He quickly typed out a second message. 

**me:** _ if it’s not i can stop texting you it’s fine! no hard feelings _

**kenma:** _ it’s okay.  _

Two words had never been so beautiful to Kuroo. 

**me:** _ great :-D _

**me:** _ i’ll be honest i’m kinda nervous right now _

**me:** _ you seem a lot cooler than me.  _

Kuroo tried not to regret sending that. He needed to be truthful. If Kenma rejected him now, it would sting (probably like a bitch), but he would get over it (maybe). It would be better than Kenma not realizing that Kuroo liked him much more than you were supposed to like a friend. 

**kenma:** _ is that because you’re a nerd _

**me:** _ well yeah  _ _ (=^_^=) _

**kenma:** _ don’t be nervous.  _

**kenma:** _ i’m probably more nervous than you  _

**kenma:** _ i don’t usually like to talk to new people  _

Kuroo considered that. He’d grown out of his anti-social tendencies when he was a child, but it still made him nervous sometimes. Texting Kenma, however, was the most anxious he’d felt since the second grade. 

Kenma was a bit of a study in contradictions. He was incredibly shy in life, but he broadcast his face for tens of thousands of strangers to see every day. He had a polite disposition, but he could swear like a sailor when the opportunity arose. 

**me:** _ then how do you live stream? _

**kenma:** _ cause i don’t actually talk to anyone.  _

**kenma:** _ except you i guess.  _

Kuroo’s heart did a backflip. 

Was there any way that Kenma felt even a fraction of what Kuroo felt for him? Was there a chance that, to Kenma, Kuroo could… be somebody?

Not just a creepy fan, not just a face in the crowd that overstepped his bounds without realizing, but someone to be thought about, someone to talk about to his friends. 

Could Kuroo be somebody?

**me:** _ ヽ(^o^)ノ _

**kenma:** _ you use the same emojis that shouyou does _

**kenma:** _ they’re… endearing  _

Someone could probably walk up to Kuroo, spit in his face and shoot him point blank in the head and he’d still die a happy man. 

**me:** _ thank you (=^ ◡ ^=) _

**kenma:** _ is that a cat? _

**me:** _ yes! _

**me:** _ you like cats, right? _

**kenma:** _ i do. _

**me:** _ wonderful!  _

Kuroo smiled softly to himself. 

Maybe… Just maybe… 

This thing with Kenma Kozume would lead somewhere. 

And even if it didn’t, he was more than happy just to come along for the ride. 

—————

_ Scroll up to see 2,158 previous messages _

  
  


_ today 12:34pm  _

**kuroo:** _ good morning sleeping beauty!! _

**kuroo:** _ i hope your dreams were wonderful and full of me (/ =ω=)/ _

**kenma:** _ kuroo _

**kenma:** _ kuroo i want to meet you _

**kuroo:** _ kenma are you serious? _

**kenma:** _ yes _

**kenma:** _ i like you. a lot.  _

**kenma:** _ but i want to actually meet you before i go any further than that  _

**kuroo:** _ i mean of course _

**kuroo:** _ i would love to meet you  _

**kuroo:** _ but this is sort of out of nowhere, is it not? _

**kenma:** _ not really  _

**kenma:** _ i’ve been thinking about it for a while. i didn’t bring it up because i didn’t want to get your hopes up if i chickened out  _

**kuroo:** _ kenma i don't care about my ‘hopes’ i don’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with  _

**kenma:** _ i AM comfortable around you _

**kenma:** _ that’s why i want to meet you.  _

**kuroo:** _the minute you feel like you don’t want to do this, you let me know, okay?_

**kuroo:** _ i’ll never hold that against you.  _

**kenma:** _ i know _

**kuroo:** _ alright. when are you free? _

—————

Kenma was nervous. Kenma was really  _ fucking  _ nervous. 

This was more than just his regular nerves. More than the social anxiety he’d battled in high school. 

His stomach was in knots. His heart was beating in his throat. His palms were sweating and his fingers twitched in his pockets. 

He would feel more comfortable facing a massive demon king or a dragon lord. Instead, he was stuck with the biggest boss battle of the real world:

Human interaction. 

And not just any human interaction. 

He was going to meet Kuroo. 

They’d been texting for a few weeks now. It was nice. It was more than nice- it was… indescribable. Kuroo was charismatic and funny and witty and nerdy and  _ perfect.  _

Online Kenma could be all of those things, too. Real Life Kenma probably couldn’t hold up. 

But he had to get this out of the way. If Kuroo couldn’t reconcile him in real life with his online persona, then this couldn’t work. At least, that’s what Hinata had said. Personally, Kenma was completely fine with spending the rest of their lives over the internet, never actually meeting face to face. 

Except…

He wanted to know Kuroo. Really  _ know  _ him. Not just know his favorite color, or how old he was, or how he liked to eat his eggs. 

Kenma wanted to know how their hands would fit together. He wanted to know the exact shade of his eyes. He wanted to know how far he’d have to tilt his head to bring their lips together. 

But in order to do that, they would have to meet. Face to face. In public. In front of each other. With no possible preparation. 

Terrifying. 

He glanced around the park he was standing in, though he knew full well he had no clue who he was looking for. Kuroo had offered to send photos and videos, pictures of him and his friends, but Kenma had refused. 

_ I want the first time I see you to be the real you,  _ he had said. And he meant it. He needed the incentive, the ultimatum to get him out of his own head.  _ If you want to see him, you have to buck up and do it.  _

“Kenma?”

Every muscle in his body froze. The voice was low and sultry, nearly a whisper. He was behind Kenma, no more than five feet away. 

He was  _ there.  _

Kuroo was  _ right there.  _

Kenma screamed at himself to  _ move,  _ to  _ turn around and see him,  _ but his body was frozen. He couldn’t, he just  _ couldn’t.  _

“Kenma?” The voice repeated, softer this time. Closer, too.

Kenma swallowed tightly. 

“Hello, Kuroo,” he whispered. Kuroo’s breath hitched behind him. 

Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned around. 

And there he was.

Kuroo was finally,  _ finally,  _ right there in front of him, close enough to touch. 

“Kuroo,” he whispered. 

“Hello, Kenma,” Kuroo replied softly, his mouth curving up into a smile. “This feels like it’s a long time coming, doesn’t it?” 

Kenma nodded mutely, unable to really articulate what exactly he was feeling. 

“You’re… Somehow, you’re nothing and everything like I imagined,” Kenma mused quietly. Kuroo chuckled and the sound sent shivers down Kenma’s spine. 

“Did you imagine me often, Kenma?” Kuroo asked teasingly, tilting his head. His tone was joking, but there was something in his eyes that told Kenma that he really, genuinely wanted to know. 

“ _ Yes,”  _ Kenma whispered fervently. Kuroo’s breath snagged and his eyes widened. That was all Kenma needed to bolster his confidence. 

In one step, he’d closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms tightly around Kuroo’s middle, burying his face in the place where his shoulder met his neck. Kuroo stumbled back a step before he regained himself and reciprocated, wrapping his arms around Kenma. 

They stayed there for a long moment, just grounding themselves in the other’s physical presence. 

“It’s funny,” Kenma started softly. “I feel like I missed you. Even though we’ve never met. I missed you,” he repeated, feeling his throat tighten inexplicably. Kuroo’s arms squeezed him tightly as he responded. 

“I missed you, too, kitten.”

A choked sob forced its way unexpectedly out of Kenma’s throat. Kuroo tensed, but he relaxed again when Kenma just continued to hold him tightly. Slowly, hesitantly, a hand reached up and began to pet Kenma’s hair, soothingly running long fingers through the strands. 

Kenma shuddered into the touch and practically melted, the only thing keeping him upright being Kuroo’s other arm, still tight around his torso. 

“It’s alright, Kenma. I’m right here,” Kuroo whispered calmingly, as if he needed to reassure not only Kenma, but himself too. 

“I just feel like-” Kenma murmured, his voice hitching with unshed tears. “I didn’t think I’d feel this way. Like- Like I already  _ know  _ you-” Kenma cut himself off with a sniff. Kuroo’s hand paused briefly in his hair before it continued again.

“You _ do _ know me, kitten. Just because you’ve never seen me doesn’t mean we don’t know each other. I think I might know you better than I know myself,” Kuroo replied honestly. “But I know what you mean. It might sound cliché, but… I feel like I’ve been waiting for you. For a long time. Longer than… Longer than I ever realized.”

Kenma realized with a start that Kuroo sounded just as choked up as he did. 

“We probably look ridiculous right now,” Kenma mumbled into Kuroo’s shoulder, feeling it shake with laughter beneath him.

“I couldn’t give a damn about how we look. I’m here with you and that’s more than I could possibly ask for,” Kuroo replied. Kenma was glad that he was positioned in a way that hid his flush. 

After a few more moments of calming silence, Kuroo slowly pushed away so they faced each other. Kenma gazed up at him intently, determined to memorize every angle and plane of his face.

“God, I’m so lucky,” Kuroo murmured softly, his eyes never leaving Kenma’s. “Can I… Can I kiss you?” 

Kenma’s breath caught in his throat. Not trusting his voice, he just nodded softly.

Kuroo’s lips were soft against Kenma’s, and Kenma could feel him smile against his mouth. Kenma smiled back, unable to help himself. They didn’t go any farther than that, still conscious of the fact that they were in a public space, but the intention was there, the promise of  _ later  _ evident in every press of Kuroo’s lips. 

When they pulled apart once more, Kuroo’s pupils were blown wide and his face was flushed. Kenma was positive that he looked much the same.

“Kenma, I…” Kuroo’s eyes searched his own. “I think I’ve been waiting to do that for the last two years,” he murmured breathlessly. 

“Funnily enough, I think so too,” Kenma whispered, smiling softly. 

Kuroo looked down between them and deliberately laced one of their hands together, looking at it with a look in his eye that sent the butterflies in Kenma’s stomach in a tizzy. 

Kenma looked down at their joined hands, too.

He was pleased to see that they fit perfectly. 

Just as he’d always imagined they would.

—————

**_Welcome to_** **KeNeko** **24-Hour Charity Livestream** ** _live public chat. Type something in the chat below to send_** **KeNeko** ** _a public message in real time._**

_ Scroll up to see  _ **_99+_ ** _ previous chats since 8:00am _

**elitech:** ayo kenma its lunchtime

**slayerbase:** lunchtimeeeee kenma

**hartlummo:** lunch

**guypositive:** someone remind him its noon he needs to eat

**bingen:** We are supposed to tell him to eat now right?

**xmcbox:** kenma eat lunch

**upforphip:** LUNCH

**applepi:** lunch is for the weak

**missycat:** Go eat lunch, Kenma-kun!

**rollmyhero:** HOLD UP 

**cupholyps:** YOOOO

**lovercyber:** WHO IS THAT??

**bakubroyo:** WHO

**bungeegum:** WHO

**winterlover:** WHOS THAT

**trololol:** SOMEONE BRINGING HIM LUNCH?????

**catattack:** THAT’S DEFINITELY NOT HINATA

**clubwar:** WHOMST

**bingen:** YO HIS HAND IS HOT THO

**cotoinct:** WHO IS THAT

**fourtwunty:** SOMEONE TELL ME WHO THAT IS

**readydav:** I BET HE'S HOT 

**hisokaswhore:** DOES KENMA HAVE A BOYF???

**easylex:** BOYFRIEND?????????

**hisokaswhore:** KENMA IS BLUSHING

**lawnt:** HOT BOYFRIEND ALERT HOT BOYFRIEND ALERT 

**kaitochips:** CHEMISTRY KING HOW ARE YOU FEELING

**upforphip:** OMG LMAO CHEMISTRY KING IS GONNA BE HEARTBROKEN

**slayerbase:** f in the chat for chemistry king

**guypositive:** f 

**lazons:** f

**freexprincess:** rip fallen soldier

**nekocontent:** f 

**cupholyps:** f

**mintzerve:** …...wait where is chemistry king

**elitech:** ayo chemistry king are you crying

**strongarda:** He’s probably off being heartbroken somewhere

**broodyn:** he was here earlier right

**stoopri:** i saw him in chat this morning he gave a dono

**bristlech:** he’s definitely off crying then lol

**thinkton:** chemistry king give us your take how are you feeling

**Booshav:** @ Chemistry king

**rayvlya:** ...seriously guys he was just here

**schoto:** sos our resident chemistry nerd is missing

**plotiv:** y'all don't think…

**kaitochips:** has anyone ever been in a stream without him?

**sizzlife:** no lol he lives here

**incatmaster:** BOYFRIEND IS BACK

**scorpionticker:** HELLO AGAIN BOYFRIEND

**kenmaslefttoe:** BOYFRIEND BRINGS MONSTER ENERGY

**melclever:** HELLO BOYFRIEND

**cardsol:** BOYFRIEND YOU HAVE UPSET ONE OF OUR COMRADES

**choosebobo:** #JUSTICEFORCHEMISTRYKING

**lawnt:** GUYS WHAT IF BOYFRIEND *IS* CHEMISTRY KING

**plotiv:** THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING

**webabove:** No way he is a nerd

**upforphip:** OMG WHAT IF

**interiorweare:** BOYFRIEND CAN YOU CONFIRM OR DENY

**intervivy:** BOYFRIEND ANSWER US

**kingrans:** NO

**sparklingear:** NO BOYFRIEND IS LEAVING

**stargalwitty:** BOYFRIEND DON'T LEAVE

**nekocontent:** smh

**razuforever:** Now we’ll never know grrrr

**lionet:** guys it was just a regular guy stop being creepy and butting into kenma’s relationship

**affinia:** boyfriend betrayed us

**aboveyoung:** so chemistry king = boyfriend or what?

**incatmaster:** conspiracy theories!

**lionet:** I don't think so

**chemistryking:** (=^ ◡ ^=)

**lawnt:** WHAT

**plotiv:** AYO WHAT THE FUCK

**worldweb:** DOES THAT MEAN WHAT I THINK IT MEANS

**cardsol:** CHEMISTRY KING YOU SLY DOG

**slayerbase:** NO WAY

**targetray:** THAT WAS HIM?

**stargalwitty:** BOYFRIEND IS REALLY CHEMISTRY KING???

**guypositive:** HE DID IT BOYS

**broodyn:** HOLY SHIT NO WAY

**tigerib:** KENMA IS BLUSHING OMFG ITS TRUE

**relyst:** NO FUCKING WAY

**affinia:** WE JUST WITNESSED HISTORY

**hartlummo:** I CAN’T BELIEVE HE REALLY DID IT

**sweetiery:** OH MY FUCKING GOD WOW

**xmcbox:** THAT'S AMAZING

**chemistryking:** (=^‥^=)

—————

**Q &A with CHEMISTRY KING (aka my boyfriend kuroo)**

_ 12,595,233 views ・Apr 2nd, 2020 _

KeNeko ☑️

_ 3.8M subscribers _

I asked you guys on Twitter to send me questions to answer in a Q&A video. What I didn’t tell you was that I would be answering them all with my boyfriend, Kuroo. 

Everyone, meet Kuroo. You might know him as Chemistry King. 

_ 22,761 Comments _ __ _ Sort by: Likes _

**Rexleg** _ 5 hours ago _

I cannot believe he really did it. We’ve all witnessed history, folks

**Discovat** _ 4 hours ago _

i feel blessed to have been a small part of this union of rom-com level circumstances

**Populand** _ 5 hours ago _

Society: technology is bad

Me, already pulling up a powerpoint: let me tell you a story about a streamer and his biggest fan-

**Forumchic** _ 56 minutes ago _

Faith in humanity: restored

**Trendyna** _ 33 minutes ago _

Did anyone see in  22:17 when Kenma was explaining the story behind his username and Kuroo just put his chin in his hand and looked at him with the SOFTEST eyes I am literally melting

—————

[An picture of two cats, the larger black one wrapped around the smaller calico one. Both are asleep on a pile of blankets. Kuroo’s hand rests on the black cat, Kenma’s on the calico.There are rings on both their ring fingers.]

_ 1,239,474 likes _

**keneko.games** their names are zelda and link lol

_ View all 40,386 comments _

**sumobi:** UM HELLO RINGS??

**inanywri:** kenma please don't do this please tell us those rings are real please let this actually be happening

**offlineot:** cute!!!

**sunshineshouyou:** omg so so cute ily both!!  (*´▽`*)

**hey.bokuto.hey:** _@kuroo.tetsurou_ CONGRATS BRO! I KNOW YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED A CAT (among other things)

**ryothol:** if they got married i think i might die of happiness holy shit

**kuroo.tetsurou:** so excited to grow old together with our fifteen cats (=^-ω-^=)

**Author's Note:**

> this is by far the longest one shot i’ve ever written. that plus the formatting of the social media interludes (which i never actually completely figured out, i sorta gave up) and wow this was a bit of a challenge!
> 
> i’ve also never written kenma or kuroo before, so apologies if they seem ooc! it was definitely a challenge to write them, but i hope it turned how decent. 
> 
> shoutout to the commenter aquabreeze7282 for suggesting a kuroken epilogue! this exists because of you! 
> 
> all of your comments and kudos and bookmarks are seen, loved, and appreciated! i hope you all have a wonderful morning/day/night. stay safe!


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